The present invention is directed to apparatus for use in conjunction with containers and vessels for carrying live bait during fishing expeditions, and more particularly to water circulation systems that provide a supply of fresh oxygenated water to sustain bait fish during, and subsequent to, transport to a fishing site.
In salt water fishing, it is common to use live bait that must be sustained in a bait bag or other water containing vessel during the course of a fishing expedition. Bait containers that are designed to be mounted over the stern of a fishing boat are known. These water containing vessels typically include a water inlet providing a source of fresh oxygenated water, and one or more water outlets typically consisting of holes in the upper aft side of the bait bag.
One of the disadvantages of prior art bait container systems is that the flow of inlet water is not regulated by restricting or properly directing the flow of water into the bait bag. Excess flow can tire the bait fish and a substantial loss of bait may result between the time it takes to obtain the bait and transport them to a fishing site. Another concern with unregulated or improperly regulated water inlet systems is that the sediments which invariably collect on the bottom of the bait container, such as fish scales and other matter produced by the bait fish, are disturbed by the water flow and dispersed through the bait container. This can suffocate the bait fish.
Reducing the flow of inlet water to the bait container is one solution to the foregoing problem, but this reduces the rate at which water is replaced, and decreases available oxygen. Thus, there is an evident need for a bait container flow regulator that regulates the flow of water into the bait container without tiring the fish or disturbing bottom sediments, while maintaining maximum volumetric water flow into the bait container.